WASHINGTON — New Jersey Rep. Tom Kean Jr. has mysteriously been missing from Capitol Hill for nearly two months — and his team is blaming unspecified “health issues.”
Kean (R-NJ), who is the most vulnerable Republicans in the Garden State’s congressional delegation, last voted on March 5 and has skipped more than four dozen votes since then.
On Wednesday, Kean posted on social media about how two of his bills advanced past committee. Yet he wasn’t actually on Capitol Hill that day for votes.
The Post contacted his office for comment.
Kean’s team told Politico that he is “facing unspecified health issues,” but even fellow NJ House members said they haven’t heard from the 57-year-old.
Concerns about Kean’s whereabouts have grown as Congress has grappled with members growing ill and dying this session amid very close margins between Republicans and Democrats.
Currently, the House has 217 Republicans as well as one Independent that caucuses with the GOP, 212 Democrats and five vacant seats.
Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.), who was vying for reelection, became the fifth House representative to die in office since early 2025.
Last month, President Trump let slip that Rep. Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), who is known to have a terminal diagnosis, was expected to be “dead by June.”
Some of Kean’s colleagues, Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) told Politico they reached out to him to gauge his status, but haven’t heard back from him, describing it as “radio silence” from him.
“I know the congressman and his family appreciate all of the well wishes and support,” Harrison Neely, a consultant for Kean, told the outlet, which first reported on his absence. “Please know that he will be back on a regular full schedule very soon.”
The House has dealt with mysterious absences that have flown under the radar before. In 2024, for example, former Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas), who had been missing for months, was discovered in a retirement community that specialized in memory care.
Kean’s absence has also raised concerns about the midterms, given the competitive district he represents.
A two-term member of the House, Kean had a near-perfect attendance record until earlier this year, according to data from GovTrack.
The slim Republican margin in the House makes it difficult for GOP leadership to navigate tough votes such as Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Section 702 reauthorization.
